New EU regulations could affect divorce in Ireland
EU citizens could soon be able to get quick divorces in Ireland if new European Commission regulations are passed.
However, Irish citizens will still be bound by Irish divorce law, which means they must be separated for four years before they can apply to the courts.
The aim of the draft legislation is to simplify the legal situation for the estimated 170,000 couples who seek a divorce every year in the EU.
It will mean that married couples could seek divorce in whichever country they wished but still be governed by their own government’s law on divorce.
This would mean that a Swedish couple could be granted a divorce in an Irish court within six months, as this is the length of time it would take in their Scandinavian home country.
Irish people married to citizens from other EU states could also seek a divorce in the home country of their partner if that would mean speeding up the process.
However, it is expected the Government here is likely to reject the proposal.
